I fail to see the point in airline style screening at Railway stations.
It would be utterly impossible to bring it in at every station including all those manned part time or not at all.

If terrorists wish to commit an outrage at say, Paddington, what is to stop them getting on a service at one of the many unstaffed stations in the West or Wales and travelling into Paddington to commit mass murder.
No amount of screening those departing by train from Paddington would stop this, and even screening arrivals into paddington would not stop attacks before the screening point, or indeed on the often very crowded trains between Reading and Paddington.

It would also cause endless delay, as at airports "please allow 2 hours to check in"
And a "fine" of hundreds of pounds if the security screening means your "booked train only" ticket is no longer valid.

Expect also a long list of prohibited items including, liquids, nail scissors, hand tools, food, drink, electronic items, and one random item that is different each day.

Very silly idea.

First is indeed comfortable and I often travel thus, the negative remarks refer to the new "improved" seats and seating layout in steerage, and to my concerns that something similar may be planned to "improve" Pendolinos.

Because the satellite cant see you when below ground which of course much of the underground and part of the national network is.

Not now, AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know).
But at the time that the new shorter trains were introduced, bookings were permitted.
There were many complaints about 3 car trains replacing 8 car on summer saturdays, and rather than run longer trains, SWT simply marked most services as "seat reservations recomended" in the timetable.

Perhaps I am being unduly pessimistic.
I have however suffered over the years from rather a lot of railway "improvements".

Withdrawal of 8 car slam door units on the Catford loop line, and replacement by 4 car or 6 car networkers with consequent standing when I would have got a seat on the old trains. We now often get 8 car class 319s, which is a belated improvement but does not excuse the years of overcrowded, new shorter trains.

Withdrawal of full length loco hauled services on the Waterloo to Exeter services, and replacement by 3 car DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) with consequent overcrowding. (and yes I know that most services are longer than 3 car NOW, but I had a year of standing on 3 car trains when I would have got a seat on the old trains)

And more recently of course the great western "improved" HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) with reduced or minmal catering and more bus seats.

Elswhere on the railway there has been the appalling downgrade of Liverpool street services from 12 car to 8 car. Fortunatly I seldom use that route, but was disgusted when I had to.

In all the above cases, the railway industry talked of improvements, yet it seemed worse.

The withdrawal of slam door door units could have been postponned until sufficient new trains were available to run full length services, but not likely ! just run shorter trains and make people stand, it is called progress you know.

On the Waterloo to Exeter route, there is no real reason why a few loco hauled trains could not have continued for years, even up to today if need be, thereby ensuring that the DMU services could have been longer with seats for all.
Not likey though !
The prevailing view seemed to be that full length loco hauled trains were bad, and the 3 car DMUs were good. Any complaints about standing for hours were answered by stating that one should book a seat.

And for Virgin cross country, as it is still widely known, it is generally believed that they received a vast subsidy to halve the length of the trains.

It is of course possible that I am being unduly negative, and that lessons have been learnt from previous improvements.
Perhaps the new inter city trains will be long enough, with tables, luggage space, leg room and generally similar internaly to older types.
Perhaps First groups proposed alterations will make voyagers and pendolinos more comfortable and not worse.

Previous events do not however fill me with optimism.

I cant see how First expect to carry more passengers and raise more revenue from a nearly fixed train fleet without much higher density seating in the new third class.
I did not speculate on 2+3 seating because I took that for granted in third.
Other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) have shown the way in this regard.
"thousands of extra seats"  "options to suit all budgets "
And the infamous "it is what customers want, surveys show it"

It could certainly be argued that parts of the West coast route serve long distance commuters, in much the same way as FGW HSTs do, and similar arguments could be applied to justify downgrading the seating layout from inter city to commuter.

MY negative thoughts regarding "improvements" are not entirely aimed at First group since I believe that similar downgrades would been done by Virgin had they retained the franchise.
Higher density seating, removal of tables and luggage space and downgrading catering is generally regarded as progress on todays railway, and does indeed provide more seats.

Are you certain that club class will be a first class carriage ?

My natural cynicism leads me to suspect that club class will be a way of charging more for standard class, rather than a way of charging less for first class coaches.

I would expect club class to be like the present standard class, with the new higher density standard being made worse.

FIRST almost all table seats , 2+1 seating

CLUB CLASS , Like present standard with some tables, in effect second class but not called that

STANDARD, High density budget airline seating, minimal luggage space. In effect third class but not called that.


Will soon become known as first, second and third.

Whilst that sounds good, did they say ALL buffets or SOME buffets.
Whilst I have slightly more faith in First than I have in Virgin, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) do not a have a very good record.

Micro-buffets replacing proper ones
7 return pullman workings to/from the West gradually reduced to 2.
ALL Welsh Pullmans withdrawn.

Stating in a railway magazine that "existing restaurants would be retained" and then withdrawing another before the publication was on sale !.


OTOH^▸ (On The Other Hand) Virgin do not offer any proper restaurants, and FGW still have 2 and might manage several more in a larger franchise.

Yes, I would back First as well.
I have misgivings about First, but on balance would prefer them to Virgin.

Virgin services allways feel subjectively like a not very good airline, rather than like a railway.
Being told where to sit, and the included but not very good reheated airline type meal is part of this.

Some Virgin fares seem outrageuos, on not very busy trains.
I can understand charging relatively high fares on busy services, but last minute travel on lightly used services seems unduly expensive.

As an example the off peak fare from Taunton to London is about ^40, with tickets available at the last minute, and valid on any off peak train.
I suspect that a last minute off peak journey on Virgin, of similar length, would cost much more.

Hpefully they will run some proper restaurants.
The cynic in me is however aware that a sandwich sold from a trolley is "at seat catering"
Almost any downgrade or reduction can be marketed as an improvement, if you have a good marketing department.

Squeezing in a few more seats by removing tables " thousands of extra seats a day. customers much prefer new layout, surveys show it"

Remove the restaurant/buffet, a great impovement "customers much prefer a trolley service, surveys show it"

Virgin tried to run the railway more like an airline.
I suspect that they minimised intermediate stops simply because most aircraft do not stop en route !
They certainly seemed to have an active policy of discouraging local commuters and shoppers from useing their trains.

Congratulations to First.

Although they have their faults, in my view they are better than Virgin.

Despite the generous number of staff on Virgin services, I have often been dissapointed by the on train service.
"its not my job" "youve had a complimentary drink, you cant have another until after XX"
And worst all, regularly being told where "you have got to sit" ! surely with a first open ticket I should be able to sit where I please ? (subject of course to the seat not being occupied  or booked by someone else)

My main concerns with the new First franchise is what downgrades to passenger comfort are planned.
They have shown the way with the improved HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) "thousands of extra seats"

IF  First group retain the Great western franchise, then presumably rolling stock used on both franchises can be loaned/transfered between Western and West coast as needed. Does not increase the total pool of course, but might give a little valuable extra flexibility.

"Overbidding", and consequent failure is certainly a risk as previous events on the East coast route have shown.

I dont understand how making the winner give up other franchises would help in this respect.
If first group have bid excesively for the west coast franchise, then how would making them give up one or other of their other franchises help ?

I rather prefered this livery !http://www.fictitiousliveries.co.uk/photo.php?S_A4_1_vt.jpg

Yes, but.
Although many factors are more important than first class catering, most of these such as timetables, regulated fares, and so on are fairly tightly specified.
Catering is more or less optional, and therefore a matter of some concern.

Re-introduction of proper restaurants 
Or adjust "in line with changing customer needs" i.e. just a trolley